9 Social Engineering Attack Examples to Watch Out For

Social engineering attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and diverse in today's digital-first world. Attackers have a toolbox full of tactics to manipulate individuals and organizations into revealing sensitive information or granting unauthorized access. By understanding the different types of social engineering attacks, you can better protect yourself against these manipulative techniques. In this blog, we’ll look at nine of the most common social engineering attack examples to look out for.

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Exploring 9 prevalent social engineering attack examples

Social engineering attacks come in various forms, each with specific tactics and objectives. Understanding common attack types can help everyone in your organization do their part to contribute to a more robust security posture.

1. Phishing: The art of deceptive messages

Phishing is a broad category of social engineering attack in which threat actors send fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source. They aim to trick recipients into revealing personal information, clicking on malicious links, or downloading infected attachments. 

While phishing used to be primarily accomplished through email messages in what’s known as a business email compromise (BEC), the attack category has evolved considerably in recent years. Now, phishing can also take place using SMS messages (smishing), QR codes (quishing), and deceptive URLs (HTTPS phishing). Savvy attackers even engage in a form of phishing known as “executive impersonation,” pretending to be a high-ranking official at an organization to pressure employees into sharing sensitive information or making a financial sacrifice.

2. Vishing: Voice phishing tactics

Vishing is one of the most popular subsets of modern phishing attacks. Instead of sending emails, attackers use phone calls to impersonate legitimate entities, such as banks or government agencies. Because the victim might not consider calls from these organizations as suspicious, they’re more likely to reveal personal information or financial details. This allows attackers to gain access to their target systems, install malware or malicious code, and steal sensitive data.

3. Spear phishing: Targeted scams

Social engineering can also take a more targeted approach in the form of spear phishing. Instead of launching widespread attacks in the hopes that someone falls for it, spear phishing targets specific individuals. Focusing on one person allows attackers to customize their messages and tailor the attack, making the deception that much more convincing. Spear phishing typically targets an executive or C-suite employee, such as a CEO or chief technology officer, to gain direct access to sensitive data or high-value resources.

4. Baiting: Enticing fake promises

Baiting is a social engineering attack example that uses an enticing promise to lure victims into a trap. Attackers leave physical media like USB drives or online offers such as free downloads in places where their intended victims are likely to encounter them. When someone takes the bait, the attack can do damage in any number of ways, from installing malware on the device to extracting sensitive data.

5. Pretexting: Fabricating scenarios to steal data

Pretexting is a strategy that can be applied to a variety of social engineering attacks. The attacker creates a fabricated scenario (the pretext) to convince their victim to voluntarily turn over sensitive information. The goal is to gain trust by impersonating someone the victim knows or pretending to take a legitimate and expected action, such as user authentication or identity confirmation. Attackers can use pretexting to gather sensitive information like login credentials or gain access to an organization’s resources.

6. Tailgating: Unauthorized physical access techniques

Tailgating may sound like a fun day at the big game, but it’s a dangerous tactic in the realm of social engineering. Tailgating (also sometimes called piggybacking) allows attackers to enter restricted physical areas by slipping in behind someone with legitimate access. The attacker follows closely behind an authorized person, who sometimes may even hold the door open for them. Attackers often impersonate people who wouldn’t typically garner suspicion, like janitorial staff, maintenance professionals, or delivery workers, to slip into areas they shouldn’t be able to access otherwise.

7. Quid pro quo: False promises for information or access

In a quid pro quo situation, attackers promise a service or benefit in exchange for information or assistance. An offer like this can easily seem too good to be true, which is why attackers tend to disguise the exchange as an interaction that the user would expect. For example, an attacker might pose as IT support and offer to fix a victim’s problem in exchange for their login credentials.

8. Scareware: Spreading fear through malware

Scareware is a pressure tactic in which attackers overwhelm their victims with fake threats and false alarms. By convincing a victim that their computer is infected with malware, the attacker can persuade them to install what they promise is the solution. Of course, that “solution” software is often the only malicious program involved in this tactic.

9. Watering hole attack: Compromising trusted sites

The watering hole attack is named for a common hunting concept; waiting where the animal is guaranteed to go is easier and more effective than tracking its daily behaviors. By infecting a specific website that the target users visit frequently, attackers are more likely to successfully compromise a user or even a group of users simultaneously. Visiting the infected website allows the attackers to infect their devices with malware.

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Protecting your organization from social engineering attacks

Social engineering attacks prey on people rather than on systems. Attackers take advantage of social norms and patterns of human behavior that we take for granted to complete their malicious activities. That’s why it’s important to educate your entire organization about social engineering while also implementing safeguards against sophisticated attacks. Here are some of the best strategies you can use to prevent social engineering attacks:

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to resources. For example, they might need to scan a fingerprint in addition to typing in their login credentials or input a one-time code sent to their mobile device. This adds an extra layer of security beyond just usernames and passwords, which are relatively easy to compromise.

Email filtering

In addition to learning the signs of social engineering attacks, tools like email filters can help users spot more sophisticated techniques. Email filtering uses machine learning and pattern recognition to detect and block phishing emails before they ever reach the target’s inbox. More advanced tools offer features such as sandboxing, which allows users to analyze email attachments and links in a safe environment before they have a chance to infect the device.

Monitor web traffic 

Organizations can block access to malicious websites and links by monitoring users’ web traffic. Implementing a secure web gateway (SWG) prevents users from accessing phishing sites that could steal their sensitive information. Additionally, SWGs can scan web traffic in real time to detect and neutralize threats before they reach the user and infect their device. Lookout Phishing and Content Protection, for example, blocks web-based threats before they have a chance to strike.

Security awareness training

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes. That’s why training your entire organization to spot and avoid the most common social engineering attacks is an important part of any security strategy. Some security platforms can simulate phishing attacks in safe environments to help employees learn to identify and report suspicious activities instead of granting attackers unauthorized access and asking for help after the attack.

Mobile endpoint protection 

Endpoint protection is common practice for corporate security professionals, but it shouldn’t stop at on-site tech. Antivirus, anti-malware, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools should extend to all the mobile devices in use across the organization. Mobile devices are a particularly appealing target for phishing and social engineering attackers today, so they deserve as much attention as your on-premises infrastructure. Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security is a mobile EDR solution that can detect and respond to threats in real time.

Identity and access management (IAM)

IAM is the practice of ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to systems and information. By implementing a zero-trust approach and using least privilege principles, security teams can limit users’ access to only what is absolutely necessary. IAM reduces an organization’s attack surface by minimizing the potential impact of social engineering attacks or other cyber threats.

Incident response and monitoring 

Assigning security teams to monitor for incidents around the clock isn’t practical, but the right tech platforms can help lift some of that burden. Security information and event management (SIEM) systems monitor, detect, and respond to security incidents autonomously. That way, even if a highly trained security professional isn’t on-site or available during an attack, critical safeguards are still in place to protect your entire organization.

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Stay one step ahead of social engineering attacks

By recognizing and preparing for these nine common social engineering attack examples, you can better protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access. Implementing comprehensive security measures such as mobile endpoint security and a secure web gateway can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these deceptive tactics. To learn more about today’s most dangerous social engineering tactics, download the Lookout Global State of Mobile Phishing Report here.